Pho Garden

I gotta say, I really love Pho. The combination of slow-cooked beef broth, rice noodles and an abundance of meat really hits the spot, especially in colder weather. Honestly, I could probably eat more than one bowl at a time, including the soup! But I need to be careful what I wish for. Before my visit to San Francisco, I had heard about this place that had a really big bowl of Pho for $22.00. When I say big, it's a massive understatement. Imagine 2lbs of noodles, 2lbs of meat and soup, all in a really honking huge bowl which is specifically made for Pho Garden. The challenge is that if you could finish it within 1 hour, it's on the house. I'm not trying to play hero here, there is no bleeping way I could finish such a monstrosity. For me, it's more of the novelty than anything. It's a food adventure of epic proportions.

Of course, I had just finished up eating at Sol Food out in San Rafael; thus I wasn't really in the mood for more eats. In fact, I'd already been to Bakesale Betty and Cheeseboard Pizza! However, I'm dedicated to my craft and this was the only time I could squeeze in the massive bowl of Pho. Sal said she would only watch me eat the Pho. She was in no mood for more eating, especially since we had a reservation for Chapeau! in less than 3 hours. Before it even began, I told the server that I gave up because there is no way I'd be able to eat 4lbs+ of food, even on a good day. She seemed a bit taken aback and it didn't seem to register with her. Finally, I told Sal to grab a bowl so she could try some of the Pho. However, this is not really allowed because it's suppose to be for one person only, even if you do not intend to finish it. Think of it. A bowl of Pho that could feed a family of 4 or more, that costs only $22.00. It's actually a pretty good value. You can see why they don't really want you to share.

Even though I was not in the least hungry, the Chinese in me took over and I finished all the meat. I ate some of the noodles and drank some of the broth. Honestly, the Pho was not bad contrary to other reviews I've read. Of course I've had better; but it was more than acceptable. The meats were tender and the broth was not overly salty. The only complaint is that the noodles were a bit soft. In terms of the Pho of Fame, I'm not sure how someone could finish the whole bowl. They must've been real hungry!

The Good:
- It's clean
- The food ain't bad (contrary to other reviews)
- A $22.00 bowl of Pho!

The Bad:
- There is indeed better Pho elsewhere

Sol Food

When I first mentioned to Sal I wanted to try Sol Food out in San Rafael, she paused briefly. Since she lives in Fremont, it's not exactly a neighbourhood spot for her. I tried to be as courteous as possible by giving her an out. If she didn't want to head out there, we could've easily gone somewhere else. But I'll give it to her, she's a good sport because that's where we headed after Cheeseboard Pizza. However, the one concession I had to make was to BART it from the Dublin/Pleasanton station over to Castro Valley where she would pick me up. A small price to pay for many eats today! With GPS set and me at the wheel, we set off for San Rafael. Before we knew it, we were there. Apparently, it wasn't as far as we thought it would be. So before it even hit 11:00am, we were onto meal #3!

At the very least, this meal was going to be far and away the most unique of the bunch. Being a Puerto Rican restaurant, I was looking forward to trying their something a bit different. The Camarones Criollos caught my eye. It's a dish comprising of prawns sauteed in a tomato sauce with garlic and onions. It's served on white rice and comes with a spring salad, avocado quarter, Toston Con Mojo and Marduro. Despite what you see in the picture, the prawns are not terribly overcooked. Yes, they are cooked longer than what you'd find in Chinese cuisine; but they were still very good. To me, the texture resembled that of cooked lobster. The tomato sauce itself was not overwhelming with just enough garlic and onion flavour; thus I could still taste the sweet prawn. Although, I did add some hot sauce and it made it all the more better.

I'm not the biggest fan of Tostones Con Mojo (fried green plantain smashed and fried again) since I find it dry and flavourless, so I'm a bit biased. This one was pretty much consistent with the ones I've had before. Again, with a bit of hot sauce, it made it better. However, I did like the Marduro (fried sweet yellow plantain) since it resembled a fried banana. Sal had the Mofongo, which is fried green plantain mashed up with olive oil and garlic. Naturally, I wasn't a big fan of it; but Sal seemed to enjoy it. It was a bit sweet and quite dense, she could only eat one half.

Overall, a pretty satisfying meal which is a bit out of the ordinary. I thought the prices were quite reasonable for the amount of food we got. There are not a lot of places to eat here. In fact, there are only 3 real tables outside. 2 of which are on the sidewalk. Most of it is bar seating. You might want to take it to go. So was it worth the drive out here? We thought it was since the food was pretty good, the ambiance was sorta neat and we had a good time walking around looking at all the shops in the neighbourhood.

The Good:
- Nice selection of dishes
- Good portions
- Authentic

The Bad:
- Not a lot of seating

Cheeseboard Pizza

The other night, Cable Car Guy and I were a bit hungry before meeting up with Azee for dinner at Chez Panisse. We intended to pay a visit to Cheeseboard Pizza; but it was closed on Mondays. Mind you, we were also considering grabbing some hot dogs from Top Dog too! Disappointed, but undeterred, I talked Sal into going there immediately after a fried chicken sandwich from Bakesale Betty. Not being really all that hungry, it was more of a curiosity visit than anything. Naturally, the store wasn't open so early; yet The Cheeseboard next door was open, Over there, you can buy cheese and baked goods. Furthermore, the daily pizza is available for purchase as well. Today, the pizza was Broccolini, Red Onions, Canadian Cheddar, Mozzarella, Garlic Olive Oil and Gremolata. There was an option to buy a whole pizza or one-half. I picked up the half while Sal picked up some Corn Scones.

I was skeptical of the scone; but one bite into the crunchy cornmeal combined with sweet cherries and I was sold. With a baked sugary top, the scone was sweet and a touch of savory at the same time. There were lots of textures and flavours at work here. I was only going to have a taste; but ended up eating half. It really didn't leave much room for the pizza; however, I needed to try it, right? Too bad the pizza wasn't exactly hot; but it was very tasty. Unlike most run of the mill pizzas, this one had lots of different flavours. The gremolata provided the added kick of flavour. I love garlic and the double-dose of garlic oil and garlic in the gremolata made the pizza very tasty, despite the absence of meat. I also liked the thin crust. Not exactly New York-style, the crust was a chewy and not soggy. Not the best pizza I've had; yet it was satisfying.

In addition to the corn scone, there are many more other baked goods available. It's too bad I didn't get to try all of them. After all, I just had visited Bakesale Betty and had pizza too. Believe it or not, we were on our way to Sol Food in San Rafael next. This must be a new achievement, fried chicken sandwich and pizza, scone and Puerto Rican food, all before 11:30am.

The Good:

- Great tasting pizza with a great crust
- A nice selection of baked goods and cheeses next door
- Reasonably priced

The Bad:
- Only one type of pizza per day

Bakesale Betty

What's with these places with no signage whatsoever in the Bay Area? First, there was Tartine, with it's plain exterior, and now it's Bakesale Betty. In fact, they are much the same. Big windows, black tile and bustling with activity inside and outside. Normally, a visit to BSB would require lining up in a queue that could scare some people. However, Sal and I made the trek early on a Tuesday morning @ 9:00am. Not only did we get a parking spot near the front, there was no lineup. So what's the deal with the lineup anyways? Well, there is this very popular Fried Chicken Sandwich... A fried chicken sandwich at 9:00am??? Yes, we're dedicated eaters. With ironing boards doubling as tables lining the sidewalk outside of BSB, we were already put into a whimsical mood. Sal has been here before, lining up for the sandwich and other tasty treats. She got a couple of cookies this time around; but I had my sights set only on the sandwich. I would've considered getting some scones or even a slice of apple pie if we weren't going to Cheeseboard afterwards. However, once we got the sandwich, I immediately knew that no other food was necessary. The thing is absolutely enormous! Even splitting half with Sal was not enough to substantially lessen the quantity of food. Stuffed in between the soft but rest 4 large pieces of crispy fried chicken topped with marinated cabbage, peppers and onions. Too bad the chicken wasn't freshly fried, otherwise it would've been even better. Whatever the case, I wasn't complaining, a fried chicken sandwich early in the morning is a treat. If you thought this was strange, wait til you read the next post. How about adding some pizza to the already consumed fried chicken sandwich? Yup, call me a food rebel...

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Great fried chicken sandwich!
- It's quirky

The Bad:
- Usually a lineup
- Only a modest selection of products

Top Dog

For those who don't know, there is a phrase that I once coined while dining at a nice restaurant. The portions were so small, it left us quite hungry. Therefore, we decided to pay McD's a visit afterwards for some Filet-O-Fish. After that point, if any meal didn't fill us up, we referred to it as a Filet-O-Fish meal. Today, after dining at Chez Panisse, I was not exactly bursting at the seams. Without a McD's in sight, we made our way over to Durant and went for something quick and cheap. So, instead of a Filet-O-Fish, we went for hot dogs at Top Dog instead.

Yah I know, after a fine French meal at one of the best restaurants in the Bay Area, I have sunk to the depths of mystery meat stuffed inside intestinal casing. Well, food is food and no matter how much it costs, if it's tasty, I'll eat it. We ended up getting 3 hot dogs: Bockwurst, Frankfurter and Hot Link. While our dogs were being prepared, I started snapping photos and the guy behind the counter remarked that, "It's nice to see someone so enthusiastic about my cooking". He has a point, I was busily taking pictures of him cooking hot dogs. I really am crazy!

Cable Car Guy decided to add Russian hot mustard to his already spicy dog and he didn't look all that comfortable eating his hot dog. We were not sure if it was the dog or the mustard. Didn't matter, it was amusing watching him gag. He did say it was good despite the spiciness. I thought that the bun was quite nice since it was a French roll and it was nicely toasted. My Bockwurst was meaty and mildly seasoned. With some sauerkraut, the thing rocked. For $3.00, it's a nice cheap eat which is really pretty good. With all the "gourmet" hot dog joints that are all the rage, it's nice to see a place that makes great "regular" hot dogs for a great price. Oh, it's open late too, so you can grab a couple while piss drunk. They probably would taste even better!

The Good:
- It's cheap
- It's a good hot dog
- Open late

The Bad:
- No fancy stuff here

Chez Panisse

When I was planning my culinary adventures for the Bay Area, there was one restaurant I had to try no matter what. The restaurant is Chez Panisse out in Berkeley. Normally, their set menu for the restaurant downstairs ranges in price between $75 - $100 per person. Cheap it is not. Luckily for me, the night I planned to visit Chez Panisee was their $60 Monday special. However, that still ain't cheap eats. Thankfully, my cousin Cable Car Guy and his wife AZee are such good sports because they agreed to join me. Even better, they paid for it! I love my cousins! Being a Michelin 1-Star establishment, we had really high expectations. One problem... The main dish for the night was lamb. Hey, I love lamb; but CCG and AZee aren't particularly fond of it. Ah zut! Talk about bad luck. Well, I guess they would have to try the lamb no matter what!

CCG and I arrived in Berkeley first and planned to meet up with AZee at the BART station. Prior to that, we had the crazy notion of grabbing a Top Dog first. Hey, we're men, we always want to eat! Common sense prevailed and we decided to just wait for AZee, despite being quite famished. We made it over to Chez Panisse on time and were ushered to a table for 2 converted to fit 3. Not only did I feel like a 3rd wheel, there was not much room on the table for our food. Whatever the case, our server was friendly and unpretentious. We felt very comfortable despite the cramped seating.

As mentioned, we did not have any options other than the set menu for the night. If this is not your thing, the cafe upstairs has a regular menu. To start off the meal, we were presented with Porcini Mushrooms and bread. Our appetizer, Grilled Squid and Scallions with roasted peppers and aioli arrived shortly after. I gotta say that the squid was cooked perfectly. Exhibiting a buttery smooth texture, it practically melted in my mouth. Normally, squid is quite difficult to cook since it can go tough easily. The roasted peppers were ever-so-sweet that I ate them all. The significance of this? I don't normally eat peppers... With great anticipation, the Braised James Ranch Lamb Shoulder with basil and garlic sauce, and last-of-the-summer vegetable ragout arrived. Fortunately for CCG and AZee, the lamb was not too gamy, so they actually ate all of it. For me, I love lamb and I thought it was quite tender and well-seasoned. The perfectly executed ragout was fragrant exhibiting vibrant colours while maintaining a firm texture. Overall, this was a pleasant dish; if not a bit boring.

For dessert, we each had a slice of the Gateau Basque with poached quince. Despite not appearing to be, the cake was quite light and not overly sweet. Once again, it was a pleasant dessert; but not exhibiting any outstanding qualities. As a last bite, we got some burnt caramels and honey meringues. A sweet way to end the meal. In terms of the service, it was highly attentive; but not at all pretentious. We felt comfortable in the surprisingly casual environment. We never felt rushed and all of our requests were attended to promptly. Heck, I was even allowed to take a few pictures of the kitchen! The meal itself was quite good. It was evident that a lot of technique and precision went into the cooking. I'm not sure if our expectations were too high to begin with; but the whole experience didn't blow us out of the water. With that being said, it still was a delightful meal in a nice dining room with professional service.

The Good:
- Not stuffy or pretentious
- Relatively relaxed atmosphere
- Food prepared with precision and care

The Bad:
- Pricey
- Seating is not exactly spacious
- May not meet lofty expectations

Popeye's

With so many choices for food, why the heck did I go to Popeye's? Honestly, while I was there, I was wondering to myself. Well, it stems from the post I did on Krispy Kreme. Kim (I'm Only Here for the Food!) had commented about Popeye's Chicken and I thought back to the days when they had a location Coquitlam. Not anymore, the only place, other than the US you'd find Popeye's is in Ontario. I don't have a strong recollection of Popeye's Chicken since I haven't had any in a long while. Today, I decided to take a short drive to the local Popeye's to give it a go. I merely went for the 3 piece dinner with spicy fries and biscuit. For good measure, I decided to try the Crayfish Traveler. I had to wait for a short while because they generally fry everything fresh rather than the "kept in warmer" approach at KFC.

After a short wait, I presented with 3 fairly large pieces of spicy chicken. At first glance, the skin seemed a bit oil-logged which was not really all that appetizing. I gotta say, it was crunchy and quite flavourful. But what's up with the chicken itself? It was drier than the Steve Urkel's sex life. Other than the thigh, the wing and breast pieces were like gnawing on jerky. I much prefer the tender chicken from Lee's or Church's. I did like the biscuit and fries though. Biscuit was flaky and butter. Fries were spicy and crispy. If I didn't care much about the chicken, I was surprised at how good the crayfish were. Lightly battered, these little morsels were pretty darn good, especially when dipped into the spicy horseradish sauce. Think of it as popcorn shrimp; but with crayfish. Another good indicator is that you could actually see the crayfish though the crispy batter. That means it wasn't battered to the point of no return. I swear some places that serve popcorn shrimp forget to use shrimp and they might as well called it popcorn batter.

I'm not sure what the fuss is about Popeye's because I didn't really care for it. I can't stand dry fried chicken, no matter how tasty it is. And I'm not about dipping it in copious amounts of ketchup to save it. I can go get Sweet n Sour Chicken at any Panda Express or Flaming Wok, thank you very much.

The Good:

- Pieces of chicken were large
- Sides were pretty good

- Batter tastes good

The Bad:

- It was overly oily

- Chicken was dry